Read Online He Died with His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Derek Raymond
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frankly, 'but anyway, in the death we ad to get rid of him. Busy afternoon it was too, a Friday. This woman come stormin' into the dispatchers looking for Two Four. "Where is he?" she says to Smitty. Threatens him, like. He's only a young lad—Brownie and my head dispatcherine, ugly bird with a Harper's Bazaar voice, were off on the river ooze. "Where's who?" says Smitty." Well, you call him Two Four," she says, "but I know im better as my husband." Dreadful state she was in, cryin an er face all in a mess. Pity—she wasn't a bad-lookin tart at that; I'd ave let er ave One Eight and the 220D (though not Three Three an the Roller), all on credit. "E's gone off with some whore," screams this bird, "is little kiddie and I aven't seen im for a week, I've ad no money from im an I'm at my wits' end." "Look," says Smitty, "I've got work to do, I've got four phones ringin here case you can't ear em, missis, an the rest of the mob as fucked off." E was only obeying firm's orders, see? A lot of our drivers don't use their right names—we do all cash here at Planet, an the last thing a driver wants is to work is cogs off an still get done by the Inland Revenue. Also, you get a lot of funny folks come lookin for the drivers, ex-girlfriends, creditors, writ-servers an the like, an some of em don't half tell artful stories. Anyway, come to a rub, Smitty sends for me—I'd bin listenin in over the intercom anyway. I din't really fancy avin to deal with this boiler; I'd bin playin dealer's choice all night up at Whipps Cross. My ead felt like a bladder flattened between two bricks an I'd a mouth like St Paneras Station. So I sent for two of the van drivers (we do a nice van ere at Planet), One Seven One an One Eight Five, they're from Mile End and fairly heavy, an I ad em give er the arries. But not before she'd gone ahead screamin as ow she'd find im, she was is missis an all, an what was e gointer do about supportin the kiddie an all.'
'You see him again?'
'Two Four? Not a chance. One of the drivers, Four Nine probably, marked is card and that was the end of that. It's a story we've all heard before ere at Planet. You'd be surprised how many of the drivers ave their little problems. And,' he sighed, 'don't we all, my life?'
'Okay,' I said. 'Is that all?'
'That's all.' He burped with difficulty, rubbing his hands across his wiry stomach. 'Too much eggs is very bindin, Sarge, don't you find? But I got this passion for em.'
'You want to get out and about more.'
'Ah, fuck it,' he said, 'I don't greatly care for walkin, not when I can ride, what's the use? I never was a great one for the plates of meat, not since the army. An since I was in the cats meats gaff a year back for my piles, I find walkin any distance brings a pain on you know where.'
'We've all got a pain somewhere,' I said. 'It's this case with me.'
'Yeah, well, I'm sorry about Two Four,' said Mr Creamley, 'I really am. E wasn't so bad. I used to ave im up to my place at Epping to teach my youngest girl to speak proper. She ated him. I used to get im out of there in the death, give im a Scotch, push im a ten, an tell im to fuck off—" You'll never get a place like this, Two Four," I used to tell im, "not with its swimmin pool an all, an in its own acre of ground." An they liked im ere, the lads did, even if e did rabbit on a bit.'
'This woman that came in,' I said. 'You don't know her name, I suppose?'
'Well, yes, funny you should ask that,' he said, 'she left it, I think. Delia love,' he called over to an adorer, 'get me that woman's address out of Two Four's file, will you?'
Eventually Delia came across with a piece of paper and stood holding it uncertainly between us.
'Well, go on, darling,' said Mr Creamley, winking with impatience, 'give it to the gentleman, e won't bite you.'
He looked at it with me. 'Christ, there's even an address,' he said. 'Fancy!'
I got up. 'Thanks a lot,' I said.
'Any time. Always a pleasure to see the law. Nother drop of the
'You see him again?'
'Two Four? Not a chance. One of the drivers, Four Nine probably, marked is card and that was the end of that. It's a story we've all heard before ere at Planet. You'd be surprised how many of the drivers ave their little problems. And,' he sighed, 'don't we all, my life?'
'Okay,' I said. 'Is that all?'
'That's all.' He burped with difficulty, rubbing his hands across his wiry stomach. 'Too much eggs is very bindin, Sarge, don't you find? But I got this passion for em.'
'You want to get out and about more.'
'Ah, fuck it,' he said, 'I don't greatly care for walkin, not when I can ride, what's the use? I never was a great one for the plates of meat, not since the army. An since I was in the cats meats gaff a year back for my piles, I find walkin any distance brings a pain on you know where.'
'We've all got a pain somewhere,' I said. 'It's this case with me.'
'Yeah, well, I'm sorry about Two Four,' said Mr Creamley, 'I really am. E wasn't so bad. I used to ave im up to my place at Epping to teach my youngest girl to speak proper. She ated him. I used to get im out of there in the death, give im a Scotch, push im a ten, an tell im to fuck off—" You'll never get a place like this, Two Four," I used to tell im, "not with its swimmin pool an all, an in its own acre of ground." An they liked im ere, the lads did, even if e did rabbit on a bit.'
'This woman that came in,' I said. 'You don't know her name, I suppose?'
'Well, yes, funny you should ask that,' he said, 'she left it, I think. Delia love,' he called over to an adorer, 'get me that woman's address out of Two Four's file, will you?'
Eventually Delia came across with a piece of paper and stood holding it uncertainly between us.
'Well, go on, darling,' said Mr Creamley, winking with impatience, 'give it to the gentleman, e won't bite you.'
He looked at it with me. 'Christ, there's even an address,' he said. 'Fancy!'
I got up. 'Thanks a lot,' I said.
'Any time. Always a pleasure to see the law. Nother drop of the
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